Competition between cleavage of alkyl– or aryl–transition metal bonds by electrophiles

Abstract

Reactions of methyl(4-tolyl)metal derivatives with various electrophilic reagents give preferential cleavage of the methyl–metal bond in cis-[PtMe(4-MeC₆H₄)(PMe₂Ph)₂] but the 4-tolyl–metal bond in [PtMe(4-MeC₆H₄)(cyclo-octa-1,5-diene)] and in cis-[AuMe₂(4-MeC₆H₄)(PPh₃)].